Trailer coupling



Oct. 8,1940. D. s. WEISS 2,217,148

TRAILER COUPLING Filed NOV. 23, 1958 In Den for:

Dewey S.Weiss,

l 144 Attofney.

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITE STATES rArNr or'rie 4 Claims.

The principal object of my invention is the provision in such a coupling of an enhanced degree of safety.

Other objects and advantages of my invention 5' will be apparent in the following discourse wherein the significance of the reference characters in the accompanying drawing, details of construction and operation of couplings embodying my invention, and the particular advantages thereof l are explained.

Figure 1 represents a view of the coupling partly in'section and partly in elevation as viewed from the side.

Figure 2 represents a view of the coupling in i elevation as viewed from the rear.

A body I is formed integral with an attachingplate member 2, an interior chamber 3, a safetystop l, a base-bearing 5, and suitable receptacles for the pivots 6, l, and 8, and for the spring 9. A hook I!) is of a general U-shape journaled upon the pivot 6 and formed in detail with lugs I I and I2 and a cam-surface I3.

A latch I4 is journaled upon the pivot I and, in the closed position, is urged by the spring 9 into engagement with the lug II. A handle l5 formed with a laterallyf projecting lug I6 :is integral with the latch M. A lock I1 is secured upon its pivot 8 journaled in the body I and in one instance is operated by the handle I8 secured to an extended end of the pivot 8. Normally the lock I! is urged into the engaged position in which it is shown in Figure 1 by the action of gravity upon the handle I8.

To open the coupling and release the trailer, the handle I8 is first lifted to disengage the lock H from the lug IS. The handle I5 is next drawn rearwardly to disengage the latch I4 from the lug II of the hook Ill allowing the latter to turn through substantially a right angle upon the pivot 6 to present the throat of the hook rearwardly.

In this opening position the hook I0 is retained by engagement with the surface I9 of the basebearing 5, and the lock I1 is held in the disen- 45 gaged position by means of the cam-surface I3 in engagement with the trip 2!! integral with the lock I7.

Two other adjustments are provided. The hook I0 may be secured in the half-way position by allowing the latch I4 to engage the lug IE to present the throat of the hook I0 upwardly and rearwardly, a position sometimes convenient for the coupling operation. In the half-way position, the trip 20 is not engaged by the cam-surface l3. If it is desired to secure the latch I4 in the unlatched position, the lug I8 is engaged by the inner surface 2I of the lock II. To release the latch again the handle I8 may be raised, or the hook it may be moved to the fully open position when the trip 29 will be lifted by the cam-surface i3 and the latch thus released. Subsequent closing of the hook will effect a slight movement of the latch handle I5 rearwardly toengage the surface 22 of the lock I! under the lug It to prevent engagement of the lock untilthe hook I0 is entirely closed when, successively, the latch It will engage the lug I I of the hook I0 and the lock in turn will engage the lug It to secure the coupling in the closed position.

In addition to these safety devices inherent in the spring-urged latch member and the automatic gravity actuated double lock, actual usage of the device under normal road experiences has revealed the need for still further means to prevent accidents which may arise from the shearing of the pivots 6, I, or 8, or the failure of the lug II if of a conventional design.

In this coupling special provision has been made to avert serious accidents due to such failures of pivots or materials.

In this coupling, the lug I I is in reality the forward wallof a recess 23 joined with the closingpiece 24 by two lateral walls as 25 which afford mutual support between the closing-piece 24, the lug I I, and the main body of the hook II].

Now, if when in actual use on the road the pivots 6 and I should shear, the coupling with the trailer would not be lost. Likewise, the shearing of the pivot 6 alone would not serve to break the coupling. In either of these cases a force is brought to bear upon the lug II which tends to cause a clockwise rotation of the hook III as viewed in Figure 1 whether as a resultant of the action of the latch upon its pivot 1 due to a horizontal force rearwardly upon the hook II), or as a resultant of the engagement of the surface 26 of the latch I4 with the stop 4 if the pivot 1 fails.

Owing to the disposition of the base-bearing 5, forces originating in a diagonal direction in the vertical plane will be'resolved into substantially horizontal forces which in turn for the reasons. above will be converted into a clockwise rotary motion of the hook I0. It will be apparent that the nose 2'! of the main body I will oppose this rotary motion of the hook If] and effectively prevent the dislocation of the hook I8 and hence preserve the coupling with the trailer. These effects accrue out of the particular arrangement of the lug I I, the stop 4, the base-bearing 5, and the forms of the hook I0 and latch I4.

Having described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A chambered body member formed with attaching means and interiorly disposed stop and base-bearing, a U-shaped hook member disposed within said body on a pivotal mounting above said base-bearing and belov. said stop, and a spring-urged latch engaging the inner leg of said hook in a manner to place said latch in shear be tween said stop and said inner leg of said hook member. s

2. A trailer coupling comprising, a chambered body member formed with attaching means and interiorily disposed stop and base-bearing, a U- shaped hook member pivotally mounted within said body above said base-bearing the inner leg of which normally describes a path adjacent said stop, and a latch formed and disposed to arrest the motion of said inner leg of said hook member normally disposed in shear between said stop and said inner leg of said hook member.

3. A trailer coupling comprising, a chambered body formed with attaching means, an upper rearwardly extending projection and interiorly disposed stop and base bearing, a U-shaped hook member journaled medially of its ends in said body to provide a normal disposition of an outer leg which with said rearwardl y extending projection of said body forms a substantially circular aperture, a disposition of the remaining inner leg in proximity to said stop and a disposition of the entire said hook member adjacent to and above said base bearing, formed in further detail with a cam surface, and a spring urged latch journaled in said body at a level below the place of engagement thereof with said inner leg of said hook member further formed and disposed to provide that the same will be in shear between said stop and said inner leg of said hook member.

4. A trailer coupling comprising, a chambered body formed with attaching means, an upper rearwardly extending projection and interiorly disposed stop and base bearing, a U-shaped hook member journaled medially of its ends in said body to provide a normal disposition of an outer leg which with said rearwardly extending projection of said body forms a substantially circular aperture, a disposition of the remaining inner leg in proximity to said stop and a disposition of the entire said hook member adjacent to and above said base bearing, formed in further detail with a cam surface, a spring urged latch journaled in said body at a level below the place of engagement thereof with said inner leg of said hook member further formed and disposed to provide that the same will be in shear between said stop and said inner leg of said hook member, and gravity actuated means to lock said latch in the position whereat the same is engaged with said hook member formed with a trip designed to engage said cam of said hook member to release said lock means when the said hook member is in the open position.

DEWEY S. WEISS. 

